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约翰壹书生命读经 · 第15篇

神圣交通的条件（七）

Conditions of the Divine Fellowship (7)
1读经：约翰一书二章三至六节。在我们看约壹二章三至六节以前，我想进一步说到平息的事。约翰在二章二节说，『祂为我们的罪，作了平息的祭物；不是单为我们的罪，也是为所有的世人。』根据圣经的意思，平息引到享受，因为平息引进神与我们之间的交通。根据保罗在罗马三章二十五节的话，神摆出基督作平息处，是凭著祂的血，藉著人的信。这指明基督不仅是成就平息的那一位，也是平息的地方。基督作平息的地方，就是神和祂的赎民可交谈、有交通、并彼此享受的地方。
1Scripture Reading: 1 John 2:3-6 Before we consider 2:3-6, I would like to say a further word concerning propitiation. John says in 2:2, “He is a propitiation concerning our sins, and not concerning ours only, but also concerning the whole world.” According to its biblical meaning, propitiation leads to enjoyment, for it ushers in fellowship between God and us. According to Paul’sword in Romans 3:25, God has set forth Christ a propitiation-cover through faith in His blood. This indicates that Christ is not only the One who propitiates, but also that He is the place of propitiation. Christ as the propitiation place is the place where God and His redeemed people may converse, have fellowship, and enjoy one another
2约翰在他的第一封书信里指明，神的供备不仅包括耶稣的血、神的公义和信实，也包括那在父面前为我们的案件辩护，并且自己作我们平息之祭物，作成就和平者的辩护者。实际上，基督自己就是神与我们之间的和平。这和平乃是我们能与神交谈、有交通、并彼此享受的立场。在头一段关于神圣交通之条件的话里，（约壹一5～10，）说到影响我们交通的难处是罪。我们若犯罪，就需要认罪。我们若认自己的罪，耶稣的血必要洗净我们的罪。然后父在祂的信实和公义里，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们的不义。不仅如此，我们的主耶稣基督还要成为与父同在的辩护者，处理我们的案件。末了，这宝贵的一位要作我们平息的祭物，因此成为我们享受神，与神有交通，并神与我们有交通的根基，立场。我们可用家庭生活为例，说明基督作我们平息的祭物，如何恢复我们与父之间欢愉的交通。假定一个家庭里的孩子们不顺从父亲，得罪了他，结果，他们与父亲的交通中断了。但是孩子们悔改，向父亲认罪，父亲也赦免了他们。不过情况还不是十分愉快。于是作母亲的也许来作制造和平者，帮助各方和平、喜乐。她也许为全家人豫备了吃的东西，叫他们在一起享受一番。这个例子说明基督作我们平息的祭物为我们所作的。我们认罪，被血洗净，蒙父赦免之后，主在父面前处理我们的案件，然后成为使父平息的享受，这就是基督作我们平息的祭物。
2In his first Epistle, John indicates that God’spr o vision not only includes the blood of Jesus and God’s righteousness and faithfulness, but also includes the Advocate who pleads our case with the Father and who Himself is our propitiation, our peacemaker. Christ Himself is actually the peace between God and us. This peace is the ground on which we and God may converse, have fellowship, and enjoy one another. In the first section on the conditions of the divine fellowship (1:5-10), the problem that affects our fellowship is sin. If we sin, we need to confess. If we confess our sins, the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from our sins. Then in His faithfulness and righteousness, the Father will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness. Furthermore, our Lord Jesus Christ will be the Advocate with the Father to handle our case. Eventually, this precious One will be our propitiation and thus the base, the ground, where we enjoy God and have fellowship with Him and He with us. We may use an example from family life as an illustration of how Christ as our propitiation restores pleasant fellowship between us and the Father. Suppose the children in a family offend their father by disobeying him. As a result, their fellowship with the father is broken. However, the children repent and confess to the father, and he forgives them. Nevertheless, the situation is still not altogether pleasant. Then the mother may come in as the peacemaker, as the one who helps all the parties to be peaceful and happy. She may even prepare something for the family to eat so that they may have an enjoyable time together. This is an illustration of what Christ does as our propitiation. After we confess our sins and are cleansed by the blood and forgiven by the Father, the Lord handles our case with the Father and then becomes the very enjoyment that appeases the Father. This is Christ as our propitiation.
3我们思考这件事，就晓得这不是仅仅一个道理，乃是经历的事。我们从经历中知道，当我们认自己的罪，就感觉到血洗净了我们，父也赦免了我们，也立刻感觉到有享受。那享受就是基督作我们平息的祭物。我们乃是藉著这享受，藉著基督作我们平息的祭物，得以与神交谈，神也得以与我们交谈，并且我们得以一同享受基督，围绕基督有交通。因此，基督是那在神面前为我们作平息祭物的享受。至终，祂成了我们与父交通的立场。这样，我们因罪中断的交通就得以恢复。赞美主！藉著五项供备─血、神的信实和公义、辩护者、平息的祭物─我们就得以恢复与神完满的交通。
3As we consider this matter, we shall realize that this is not merely a doctrine but is something very experiential. From experience we know that when we confess our sins, we have the sense that the blood has cleansed us and that the Father has forgiven us. Immediately, there is also a sense of enjoyment. That enjoyment is Christ as our propitiation. It is by this enjoyment, by Christ as our propitiation, that we may converse with God and He with us, and that together we may enjoy Christ and have fellowship around Christ. Therefore, Christ is the enjoyment that is the propitiation with God for us. Eventually, He becomes the very ground of our fellowship with the Father. It is in this way that our fellowship, which is broken through sin, may be recovered. Praise the Lord that by the five provisions—the blood, God’s faithfulness and righteousness, the Advocate, and the propitiation—we are restored to full fellowship with God
维持神圣交通的第二条件
THE SECOND CONDITION FOR MAINTAINING THE DIVINE FELLOWSHIP
4约壹二章一至二节乃是一章五至十节，论到我们认罪及神赦我们罪（这罪打断我们与神的交通）那段话的结语。那是我们享受神圣生命交通的第一条件，第一要求。三至十一节说到我们与神交通的第二条件，第二要求，就是遵守主的话，并且爱弟兄。约翰在二章三节说，『我们若遵守祂的诫命，在此就知道我们是认识祂。』原文这节开始于连接词『并且，』这是很有意义的。句首所用的这个连接词指明，约翰要说到维持我们交通的另一条件。
4Verses 1 and 2 of chapter two are a conclusion to the word in 1:5-10 regarding our confession and God’s forgiveness of our sins, which interrupt our fellowship with Him. That is the first condition of, the first requirement for, our enjoyment of the fellowship of the divine life. Verses 3 through 11 deal with the second condition of, the second requirement for, our fellowship with God—the requirement that we keep the Lord’sword and love the brothers. In verse 3 John says, “And in this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments.” It is significant that this verse begins with the conjunction “and.” This conjunction used at the beginning of the sentence indicates that John is about to speak concerning another condition for maintaining our fellowship
5我们已经看过，神圣交通的第一条件是对付罪。我们若不对付罪，罪就破坏我们的交通。因此，我们要维持与父的交通，需要承认自己的罪。不仅在道理上是这样，照著属灵的经历也真是这样。我们从经历中知道，要维持在交通中对神圣生命的享受，我们必须作的头一件事就是对付罪。因此，对付罪是保守我们自己在神圣生命交通里的第一条件，第一要求。现在，约翰接著来看第二个条件，就在三节的开头用连接词『并且。』这辞指向维持神圣交通的另一条件，另一要求。
5We have seen that the first condition of the divine fellowship is dealing with sin. If we do not deal with sin, sin will damage our fellowship. Therefore, in order to maintain our fellowship with the Father, we need to confess our sins. Not only is this true doctrinally, but it is also true according to our spiritual experience. From experience we know that in order to maintain our enjoyment of the divine life in fellowship, the first thing we must do is to deal with sin. Hence, dealing with sin is the first condition, the first requirement, of keeping ourselves in the fellowship of the divine life. Now that John is going on to consider the second condition, he begins verse 3 with the conjunction “and.” This word points to another condition, another requirement, of maintaining the divine fellowship.
在经历上认识神
KNOWING GOD EXPERIENTIALLY
6约翰在二章三节说，『在此就知道我们是认识祂。』这节的认识也可译作了解。这里的意思不是在道理上，乃是在经历上，藉著遵守主的诫命而了解。
6In verse 3 John says, “In this we know that we have known Him.” The Greek word for know in this verse may also be rendered perceive. Here the meaning is to perceive not doctrinally but experientially, by keeping the Lord’s commandments
7『是认识祂』直译是『已经得以认识祂，』指我们已经开始认识祂，并且到目前还继续认识祂。这是指我们在日常生活中，在经历上对神的认识。这与我们和祂亲密的交通有关。我们对主的认识已经开始，现在一直继续著。这种对主继续不断的认识是经历上的认识。我们如果这样在经历上认识主，就必定遵守祂的诫命。
7A more literal translation of the Greek words rendered “have known Him” would be “have come to know Him.” This denotes that we have begun to know Him and still continue knowing Him till the present time. This refers to our experiential knowledge of God in our daily walk related to our intimate fellowship with Him. Our knowing of the Lord has begun and is continuing. This continuous knowing of the Lord is an experiential knowing. If we know the Lord in this experiential way, surely we shall keep His commandments
遵守祂的诫命
KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS
8约翰在二章四节接著说，『那说我认识祂，却不遵守祂诫命的，便是说谎的，真理也不在这人里面了。』这节的『真理，』表明神圣的话里所传输、启示出来之神的实际。这启示当我们认识主之后，该遵守祂的诫命。我们若说我们认识主，却不遵守祂的诫命，真理（实际）就不在我们里面，我们也就成了说谎的。我年轻的时候，对这些经文里的『诫命』一辞很感困惑。我想这辞总是指摩西律法的十条诫命，我不明白约翰为甚么在这里题到这律法，叫我们必须遵守十诫。实际上，这节的诫命乃是新约的诫命，不是摩西律法的诫命。这些新约的诫命或是主耶稣直接颁赐的，或是藉著使徒颁赐的。在约翰福音里，主给我们明确的诫命，要我们彼此相爱：『我赐给你们一条新诫命，乃是叫你们彼此相爱，正如我爱你们，为使你们也彼此相爱。』（约十三。）这条彼此相爱的诫命是主耶稣亲自赐给的。因此，这不是旧约的诫命，乃是新约的诫命。至于新约其他的诫命，那是主耶稣藉著祂的使徒间接赐给的。我们若说我们照著新约在经历上认识主，就当遵守新约的诫命。我们若不遵守这些诫命，就表明即使我们说我们认识主，实际上我们并不认识主。照著约翰在约壹二章四节的话，我们若说我们认识他，却不遵守祂的诫命，便是说谎的，真理也不在我们里面了。
8In verse 4 John goes on to say, “He who says, I have known Him, and is not keeping His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this one.” In this verse truth denotes the revealed reality of God as conveyed in the divine word, which reveals that our keeping of the Lord’s commandments should follow our knowing of Him. If we say that we have known the Lord, yet we are not keeping His commandments, the truth (reality) is not in us, and we become a liar. When I was young, I was bothered by the word “commandments” in these verses. I thought that this term always referred to the Ten Commandments of the Mosaic law, and I wondered why John here mentioned this law, telling us that we must keep the Ten Commandments. Actually, the commandments in this verse are commandments in the New Testament, not the commandments of the Mosaic law. These New Testament commandments are the commandments of the Lord Jesus given directly by Him, or the commandments given through the apostles. In the Gospel of John the Lord gave us the definite commandment to love one another: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 1 3:3 4). This 34 commandment to love one another was given by the Lord Jesus Himself. Hence, it is not a commandment of the Old Testament, but a commandment of the New Testament. Other New Testament commandments were given by the Lord Jesus indirectly through His apostles. If we say that we know the Lord experientially in the New Testament way, then we should keep the New Testament commandments. But if we do not keep these commandments, this is a sign that actually we do not know Him, even though we say that we do. According to John’sword in verse 4, if we say that we have known Him, yet do not keep His commandments, we are a liar, and the truth is not in us.
遵守祂的话
KEEPING HIS WORD
9约翰在二章五节接著说，『然而凡遵守祂话的，神的爱在这人里面实在是得了成全。在此我们就知道我们是在祂里面。』这里的『话』与三至四节的『诫命』同义，包含一切的诫命。『诫命』著重训谕；『话』含示灵与生命作我们的供应。（约六63。）二章五节的话是一切诫命的总和，集大成。诫命不论有多少，总括起来就是主的话。因此，约翰在五节说到遵守祂的话。他的意思是要遵守主自己直接所说，或藉著使徒所说的话。
9In verse 5 John continues, “But whoever keeps His word, truly in this one the love of God has been perfected. In this we know that we are in Him.” Here “word” is synonymous with “commandments” in verses 3 and 4, for the word comprises all the commandments. “Commandments” emphasizes injunction; the “word” implies spirit and life as a supply to us (John 6:63). The word in verse 5 is the totality, the aggregate, of all the commandments. No matter how many commandments there may be, as a whole these commandments are the word of the Lord. Hence, in verse 5 John speaks of keeping His word. By this he means keeping the word spoken either by the Lord Himself directly or spoken through the apostles
神的爱在我们里面得了成全
THE LOVE OF GOD PERFECTED IN US
10约翰在二章五节告诉我们，在那遵守主话的人里面，神的爱得了成全。这节里的爱，原文是指那比人的情爱更卓越、更高尚的爱。（见彼后一7注1与注2。）本书信只用这辞及其动词说到爱。这里神的爱是指我们对神的爱，是由祂在我们里面的爱所产生的。神的爱、主的话和神自己，都彼此相关。我们若遵守主的话，神的爱在我们里面就得了成全。这全然是神圣生命的事，这生命就是神自己。神的爱乃是祂内里的素质，主的话以这神圣的素质供应我们，凭这素质我们爱弟兄。因此，我们遵守神的话，神圣的爱就藉著我们所凭以生活的神圣生命得了成全。
10In verse 5 John tells us that in the one who keeps the Lord’sword the love of God has been perfected. In this verse the Greek word for love is agape. This word denotes the love which is higher and nobler than phileo (see notes 71 and 72 in 2 Peter 1). Only this word with its verb forms is used in this Epistle for love. “The love of God” here denotes our love toward God, which is generated by His love within us. The love of God, the word of the Lord, and God Himself are all related to one another. If we keep the Lord’sword, God’s love has been perfected in us. It is altogether a matter of the divine life, which is God Himself. God’s love is His inward essence, and the Lord’sword supplies us with this divine essence with which we love the brothers. Hence, when we keep the divine word, the divine love is perfected through the divine life by which we live.
11『得了成全』一辞非常重要。这辞原文意完整，成就，完成。神的爱在神自己里面本身是完全且完整的。然而，神的爱在我们里面必须在彰显上得著成全、得著完成。神差祂的儿子来作我们平息的祭物和生命，在此神的爱就向我们显明了。（约壹四9～。）然而，我们若没有用向我们显明的这爱彼此相爱，就是说，我们若没有用神爱我们的爱彼此相爱以彰显这爱，这爱就没有完全且完整的彰显出来。我们在生活中习惯的用神的爱彼此相爱以彰显这爱，这爱就在彰显上得了成全、得了完成。我们在神的爱里彼此相爱的生活，乃是这爱在我们里面在彰显上的成全与完成。这样，别人就能在我们那在神爱里的生活中，看见神在祂爱的素质里彰显出来。约翰在二章五节的未了说，『在此我们就知道我们是在祂里面。』代名词『祂』是指主耶稣基督。『在祂里面』一辞是有力的说法，强调我们与主是一。我们既与那是神的主是一，神爱的素质就成为我们的。这是由主生命的话供应给我们的，叫我们凭爱行事，得享神圣生命的交通，并且住在光中。（约壹二10。）
11The word “perfected” is very important. The Greek word for “perfected” is teleioo, meaning to complete, to accomplish, to finish. The love of God itself is perfect and complete in Himself. However, in us it needs to be perfected and completed in its manifestation. The love of God has been manifested to us in God’ss ending His Son to be both a propitiation and life to us (4:9-10). Yet, if we do not love one 10 another with this love as it was manifested to us, that is, if we do not express it by loving one another with it as God expressed it to us, it is not perfectly and completely manifested. It is perfected and completed in its manifestation when we express it in our living by habitually loving one another with it. Our living in the love of God toward one another is its perfection and completion in its manifestation in us. Thus, others can behold God manifested in His love essence in our living in His love. John concludes verse 5 by saying, “In this we know that we are in Him.” The pronoun “Him” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. The phrase “in Him” is a strong expression; it stresses that we are one with the Lord. Because we are one with the Lord, who is God, the loving essence of God becomes ours. It is supplied to us by the Lord’sword of life for our walk of love so that we may enjoy the fellowship of the divine life and abide in the light (v. 10).
12我们读二章五节的时候，也许不明白这里神的爱是指神爱我们的爱，还是指我们用以爱神的爱。中文译本是说到我们对神的爱，或我们用以爱神的爱。但英文译本的用辞似乎指明，约翰所指的是神的爱。我们若看原文，也顾到上下文，就会领会二章五节是指我们对神的爱。但这爱是由我们所享受之神的爱产生的。首先是我们享受神的爱；因此，神的爱是我们的享受。然后我们所享受之神的爱在我们里面产生了一种爱，我们就用这爱来爱神。这就是神的爱成了我们的享受，在我们里面产生对神的爱。一方面，这是我们用来爱神的爱；另一方面，这爱是由我们所享受之神的爱产生的。
12In our reading of verse 5 we may wonder whether the love of God here refers to God’s love or to the love with which we love God. The Chinese Version speaks of our loving of God, or of the love with which we love God. But the English expression seems to indicate that John is referring to God’s love. If we consider the Greek text and also take care of the context, we shall realize that this expression in verse 5 denotes our love toward God. However, this love is generated by the love of God, which we enjoy. First we enjoy the love of God; hence, the love of God is our enjoyment. Then the love of God, which is enjoyed by us, produces in us a love with which we love God. This is the love of God becoming our enjoyment and producing within us a love for God. On the one hand, this is the love with which we love God; on the other hand, this love is produced by God’s love, which is enjoyed by us
13实际上，我们很难说约翰在二章五节所指的是谁的爱。我们已经看见，这爱是我们所享受之神的爱，也看见这爱是在我们里面产生，使我们用以爱神的爱。爱从神来到我们这里，成了我们的经历和享受，结果这爱在我们里面产生出向著神的爱。因此，这爱从神而来，经过我们，又回到神那里。这是何等奇妙、经历的爱！二章五节里的爱是神对我们的爱，也是我们对神的爱。这是神的爱藉著我们享受神圣的爱而成了我们的爱。当神的爱成了我们的爱，我们里面就有向著神的爱。藉著我们经历神的爱，那从神而来的爱现今又回到神那里去。我们已经指出，约翰在二章五节说到神的爱在遵守祂话的人里面得了成全。神的爱本身是绝对完全的，在任何一面都不需要得成全，因为神的爱已经是完全且完整的。但是神的爱成为我们用以爱神的爱，这种爱实在需要得成全。我们是凭那藉著我们对神圣之爱的经历，而在我们里面产生的爱来爱神。虽然我们可能有这种爱，并用这爱来爱神，但我们的爱还是非常有限，离完全的爱还很远。因此，我们对神的爱需要得成全。当我们在神圣的生命里长大时，我们对神的爱也要长大。我们对神的爱实际上不是我们自己的爱。这还是神的爱，不过是神的爱成了我们的经历，在我们里面产生对神的爱。我们是藉著经历并享受神圣的爱来爱神。现在这爱需要得成全。我信我们在主恢复里的人都能说我们爱神，但我们还需要问我们爱祂到甚么程度，到甚么地步。有些人爱主的程度也许非常高，但这爱不完全。我要强调一个事实，神的爱本身是完全的，但那藉著我们经历并享受神的爱在我们里面所产生的爱，需要长大、扩增并得成全。我们研读二章五节时，对这节所题到的爱可能有两个问题：第一，这爱是神的爱，还是我们的爱；第二，神的爱为甚么需要得成全。我信现在我们对这两个问题都有了正确的答案。
13Actually it is rather difficult to say whose love John is referring to in verse 5. We have seen that this love is God’s love enjoyed by us and also that it is the love produced in us with which we love God. Love comes from God to us and becomes our experience and enjoyment. The result is that this love produces a love in us toward God. Therefore, this love comes from God, it passes through us, and it returns to God. What a wonderful, experiential love this is! The love in verse 5 is both God’s love for us and our love for God. This is God’s love becoming our love through our enjoyment of the divine love. When God’s love becomes our love, we have within us a love toward God. Through our experience of God’s love, the love that comes from Him now returns to Him. We have pointed out that in verse 5 John speaks of the love of God being perfected in the one who keeps His word. In itself God’s love is absolutely perfect. There is no need whatever for God’s love to be perfected, for it is already perfect and complete. However, God’s love becomes the love with which we love Him, and this kind of love does need to be perfected. We love God by the love that is generated in us through our experience of the divine love. Although we may have this love and may love God with this love, our love is still very limited and far from perfect. Therefore, our love for God needs to be perfected. As we grow in the divine life, our love for God also will grow. Our love for God actually is not our own love. It is still God’s love, but it is God’s love becoming our experience and producing a love in us for God. Through our experience and enjoyment of the divine love, we love God. Now this love needs to be perfected. I believe that all of us in the Lord’s recovery can say that we love God. But we still need to ask to what degree, to what extent, we love Him. Some of us may have a very high degree of love for the Lord, but this love is not perfect. I wish to emphasize the fact that in itself God’s love is perfect. But the love that is produced in us through our experience and enjoyment of God’s love needs to grow, increase, and be perfected. In our study of 2:5 we may have two questions concerning the love mentioned in this verse: first, the question whether this love is God’s love or our love; second, the question concerning why God’s love needs to be perfected. I believe that by now we have the proper answer to both questions.
14这节圣经不是客观的题到神的爱；约翰乃是主观的说到神的爱。约翰在这里所指的，是神的爱成了我们的享受，为要在我们里面产生对神的爱。因此，现在我们知道这里神的爱是指我们所经历神圣的爱，成了我们对神的爱。不仅如此，我们也看见这爱需要得成全。神的爱在客观一面不需要得成全，但在经历、主观的一面，神的爱实在需要在我们里面得成全。我们用以爱神的爱，就是我们享受神的爱所产生的爱，的确需要得成全。我们对神的爱不完整、不完全、也不绝对。不论我们多爱神，我们的爱还是末得成全。因此，我们需要让我们对神的爱得著成全，并且成全到极致。
14In this verse the love of God is not mentioned in an objective sense; rather, John speaks of God’s love in a subjective sense. John is referring here to God’s love becoming our enjoyment in order to produce a love in us for God. Hence, now we know that the love of God here refers to the divine love experienced by us and becoming our love for God. Furthermore, we have come to see that this love needs to be perfected. God’s love viewed in an objective sense does not need to be perfected. But in an experiential, subjective sense, the love of God does need to be perfected in us. The love with which we love God, the love produced by our enjoyment of God’s love, certainly needs to be perfected. Our love toward God is not complete, perfect, absolute. No matter how much we love God, our love has not yet been perfected. Therefore, we need to have our love for God perfected, and have it perfected to the uttermost